In a way, I think you kinda hit the nail on the head right there. What France is doing isn't true socialism. Then again, what the US is doing isn't a true capitalism, republic, or democracy.

If you have good leadership, people put in power who really have the people's best interest at heart instead of their own greedy ambitions, then just about any form of government can be a good one. The problem with a totalitarian government is that if the rulers go bad, you can't just get rid of them and put others in power. The people can become oppressed must more quickly under a totalitarian government than with a republic.

What we're seeing here in the US, the rising debt and unemployment, patriot act, etc... is caused by it slowly, becoming a totalitarian government. We have elitist career politicians who do not care about the people they represent and do not concern themselves with their needs, but rather the needs of those whose lobbyists pay them off and then author the bills our representatives vote on.

This is why conservatives want a smaller government. They see what's happening, they see that we are slowly, but surely losing our freedoms. This is the reason they fight against more taxes, universal healthcare, the banning of guns, etc...The more powerful our representatives are, the harder it is to get rid of them and the more devastation they leave behind after they're gone.

I don't think any conservative is really against higher taxes, universal healthcare and the like. What they're against is that they're not getting their money's worth and they know it. To them, it's just throwing more wood on a fire that's burning out of control.

Ding Ding Ding, we have a winner. Well said.

Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes.

I don't know what this ^ has to do with the point that government took an active role in freeing the slaves, not the passive one you asserted.

Funny seeing someone use your tactic of diversion and argueing over the least important portion of an idea/arguement. Should be fun to see how many times you two loop through the very very very very loosely related slave and government debate. The funny thing is you two aren't even debating the same thing, but are going rounds.

More than 8,000 households got hit with the one-time levy as Socialist President Francois Hollande continues to target the nation's wealthiest.

Quote
:

More than 8,000 French households' tax bills topped 100% of their income last year. Business newspaper Les Echos, citing Finance Ministry data, reported Saturday that the huge tax hit stemmed from a one-off levy last year on 2011 incomes for households with assets of more than 1.3 million euros ($1.67 million).

President Francois Hollande's Socialist government imposed the tax surcharge last year to offset the cost of a rebate set up by predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy that capped an individual's overall tax rate at 50% of income.

Quote
from Imerson
:

I don't think experience really matters for a president. My point is that you can't really use his own words from 4 years ago against him.

around the corner? are you implying that france's .1 growth previously wasn't stagnant?

Not relatively speaking. there's some real poop in the European union when you consider the growth in countries like Spain or Greece that are in far negative territory. I think 100% tax rates will be enough to get them in that league of stagnation

More than 8,000 households got hit with the one-time levy as Socialist President Francois Hollande continues to target the nation's wealthiest.

Proof that you can tax 100% of income and STILL not make a dent in the deficit! LOL

All growth depends upon activity. There is no development physically or intellectually without effort, and effort means work. — Calvin Coolidge"Under Barack Obama, the only 'change' is that 'hope' is hard to find" - Marco Rubio

This Thread is more than 650 days old. It is very likely that it does not need any further discussion and thus bumping it serves no purpose.If you still feel it is necessary to make a new reply you may do so.
I am aware that this Thread is rather old but I still want to make a reply.

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